Disney CEO Bob Iger may have to delay his retirement for the fourth time

Analysts predict Disney’s CEO Bob Iger may have to extend his contract beyond 2018 — when he had planned to retire — following the departure of his apparent heir, chief operating officer Thomas Staggs.

Staggs was appointed as COO last February and was the favourite to take over from Iger. But Disney announced on Monday he will leave the position on May 6.

Writing in a research note, DiClemente said while the near-term impact of Stagg’s departure is “very little,” over the longer term it could see the company needing to persuade 65-year-old Iger to stay on past 2018.

“To borrow a phrase, the best successor to Bob Iger may very well be Bob Iger,” DiClemente wrote.

If Iger doesn’t plan to stay on beyond 2018, Disney still has plenty of time to search for a replacement — potentially a candidate with more experience on the media and technology side than Staggs, who was the former chairman of Disney’s theme park business.